


The Two Brothers

by cresselia8themoon



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Favoritism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 22:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15760755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cresselia8themoon/pseuds/cresselia8themoon
Summary: Heinz eavesdrops on Roger's bedtime story.





	The Two Brothers

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was meant to be part of Haunted, but I decided to cut this section out and make this its own story because it didn’t flow with what I wanted out of the chapter (and you know, make a few changes so Heinz is alive during this).

Heinz slowly opened his bedroom door, inching it towards him so that it didn’t squeak. Father was on an overnight hunting trip with Only Son, so he didn’t have to worry about being caught by them. He crouched on the hinge side of the door, so he could see into Roger’s bedroom without them noticing. 

“Roger, what bedtime story would you like tonight?” Mother asked, stroking Roger’s neatly combed hair. Roger plucked a storybook from his shelf and eagerly settled in her lap.

“The Kinderlumper!” Roger exclaimed. “This one’s my favorite!” 

Heinz frowned, wondering how a creature who kidnapped naughty kids and put them into a giant Guntersack could possibly be his favorite. He drew closer to the door as Mother opened the book and began to read, ignoring the pang he felt when Roger burrowed into Mother’s stomach.

“Once upon a time, there were two brothers,” Mother read. “The elder had a greedy heart, always causing issues for the villagers with his mischief. But the younger was good and pure and kind. One day, the Kinderlumper paid a visit to the village, and all the children gathered around him for presents.”

Presents? The Kinderlumper didn’t give out presents! Maybe this was the Halloween version of Father Christmas?

“‘How do you make your parents happy?’ the Kinderlumper asked the children. Each child gave their answer and received sweet gingerbread as their treat. Finally, the Kinderlumper turned his attention to the two brothers.”

Heinz didn’t understand why Roger always got excited at this part. He’d heard the story a million times already.

“’Why should I make my parents happy? Any treasure I find is for myself,’ the elder scoffed haughtily. But the younger carefully thought about his answer.”

“‘I will be obedient and listen to them because they deserve my respect. I do my chores without complaint, and I refrain from activities they disapprove of.’”  

Heinz probably wouldn’t have won any points with the Kinderlumper since he hadn’t exactly done the things that the younger brother listed.

“The Kinderlumper lifted the younger upon his shoulder. ‘This is the one you should strive to be like,’ he proclaimed. He snatched the elder and placed him into his Guntersack, and the bats feasted upon his blood. And so the younger triumphantly returned home with his prize of candy, gingerbread, and toys. The end.”

She kissed Roger goodnight, and Heinz crawled back to bed before he got in trouble. But he wasn’t satisfied with the story. The younger brother hadn’t done anything to earn food and toys from a magical creature after all. 


End file.
